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During this survey an attempt was also made to
ascertain the extent to which dwellings could be so converted
as to provide healthy accommodation, and by this is meant
separate flats or maisonettes consisting of three bedrooms,
a living-room, a kltchpn, bathroom and W.C. The figures
showed that dealing with houses of a life of over 10 years,
suitable conversion could provide 20,000 such units and as
an immediate step to relieve unsatisfactory housing in the
borough this may be considered to be the quickest method.
Admittedly this is but a system of alleviation, but even
alleviation is worth while in a borough where many houses
ore let in floors to separate families - where two rooms
with a water tap on a staircase landing and a gas-cooker
outside a room and a W.C. on another floor, sometimes several
floors below, often provides all the accommodation for a
family of a mother and father and several children.
I make no excuse in this report on health conditions
in the district by commencing with a review of the housing
situation as I have seen it since I became your Medical Officer
of Health, St. Pancras Is no new borough to me. I was
trained within Its precincts and I learned my midwifery
within its small houses. Many years ago I realised that
most of the.health services provided for a community will
have their value seriously diminished unless the population
be adequately housed.
The type of house that will be provided, or alternately
that is required, is a matter of interest and accordingly, a
survey was requested which should show what, generally, are
the desires of the St. Pancras citizens. Do they work in
the borough or outside; do they wish to live in the borough
or outside; do they want a house Or a flat; what is the size
of family; how many rooms do they need; and how are individual
houses occupied ? This survey is at present being carried
out. It will not, of course, Include the whole borough; it
will be a sample survey, but should give some indication of
,vhat type of housing is required and possibly enable us to
estimate the number of individual families in the borough who
are entitled to separate housing accommodation.
There is but little doubt that the healthiest type of
home for a family is that which provides a separate house with
a garden. In St. Pancras this may be economically impracticable
but if this be so it, nevertheless, is an indication that the
space in flats must approximate to that provided in individual
houses for.those who live in less crowded areas where land is
of lower monetary value. It might indeed be argued that on
grounds of health, flat dwellers need even more space than
those provided with Individual houses.